It comes from five-time Oscar-nominated Kilkenny-based animated studio Cartoon Saloon.
If you know anything about Irish animation, then chances are you know about Cartoon Saloon.
They’ve been nominated no less than FOUR times for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars – for The Secret of Kells, Song Of The Sea, The Breadwinner and Wolfwalkers – as well as another Oscar nomination for Best Animated Short Film for their 2018 release Late Afternoon.
So when they announce a new project, of course movie fans are going to sit up and take notice, especially when those plans happen to involve Netflix, which will practically guarantee that their next movie will reach as wide an audience as possible.
My Father’s Dragon will be directed by Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner), with a screenplay by Meg LeFauve (Pixar’s Inside Out), and will feature an incredible voice cast bringing the adaptation of much-loved children’s book by Ruth Stiles Gannett.
The story of My Father’s Dragon centres on Elmer, who is struggling to cope after moving to a new city with his mother, so he runs away in search of Wild Island and a young dragon who waits to be rescued.
Elmer’s adventures introduce him to ferocious beasts, a mysterious island and the friendship of a lifetime.
As for that aforementioned voice cast, well, (deep breath), here we go…
Jacob Tremblay (Room), Gaten Matarazzo (Stranger Things), Golshifteh Farahani (Extraction), Dianne Wiest (Edward Scissorhands), Rita Moreno (West Side Story), Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids), Judy Greer (Archer), Alan Cumming (X2), Yara Shahidi (black-ish), Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen), Mary Kay Place (My So-Called Life), Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl), Spence Moore II (The Wonder Years), Adam Brody (The O.C.), Charlyne Yi (This Is 40), Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost) and Ian McShane (John Wick).
On the project, Twomey had the following to say:
“Our actors, animators and artists at Cartoon Saloon have worked together to craft this film, inspired by Ruth Stiles Gannett’s amazing book.
“We were drawn together by a desire to tell a very special tale of friendship, adventure, and true bravery.
“I fell in love with storytelling as a child and Netflix excels at celebrating all kinds of stories, through different styles and distinct voices.
“This has given me the opportunity to look through a beautiful lens and I am excited to share what I see with our audience around the world.”
There is no set release date for My Father’s Dragon just yet, but we imagine it’ll be released in the prime time to get the most Oscar’y attention.
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